Elizabeth Mae Zahn age 99, passed away peacefully on September 5, 2023 in Rye, New York, four months shy of her 100th birthday. Betty was a long-time resident of Naperville, moving to the New York City area several years ago. Her beloved husband Norman predeceased her, passing in 1986. Betty and Norman raised their 4 children in Naperville.
Betty was born in Aliquippa, PA. Her educational achievements included a BA in Liberal Arts from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA and a Master of Language Arts from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She also studied at the University of Mexico in Mexico City while in graduate school. Her career as an educator included being the youngest professor ever at Geneva College. She was a substitute teacher in the Naperville School District for many years. Since 1965 she has been a member of Knox Presbyterian Church, where all of her children were confirmed.
Betty was a lifelong lover of the arts. She received a Fine Arts Degree from the Chicago Art Institute, and her watercolors were featured in numerous juried shows. She was an integral part of the team that brought the Naperville Riverwalk and its showpiece Landforms sculpture into being.
Her faith, strength and indomitable will sustained her through 2 sieges of breast cancer, while remaining a steadfast presence in the lives of her children and grandchildren. All have benefitted from her unconditional love and wise counsel.
She is survived by her children Stephen, Mark, Paula and Leslie, as well as her 7 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Her enduring legacy is profound…she has left us with the gift of her constant love, a model for insatiable curiosity, and the lessons of a life fully lived. Arrangements entrusted to Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill St., Naperville, IL 60540. All services are private.
